Miniaturization trends in electronic devices can often result in more desirable or useful products. For example, the Micro SIM™, used in a variety of wireless products such as cell phones and machine-to-machine devices, is 15 mm by 12 mm with a thickness of 0.76 mm, as specified for example in ETSI TS 102 221 V9.0.0. An even smaller Nano SIM™ has also been proposed, being 12.3 mm by 8.8 mm with a thickness of 0.67 mm, as specified for example in ETSI TS 102 221 V11.0.0.
A popular means for coupling a module such as a Micro SIM™ to a host device is by way of a socket or connector. The connector is attached to the host device, typically to a printed circuit board (PCB) thereof, and the module is inserted into the connector. However, the feasibility of using a given connector is impacted by various cost constraints, size constraints, access constraints, and the like.
For example, the SIM3050 SIM™ Card Connector from Global Connector Technologies is a 0.5 mm profile connector, as illustrated in FIG. 1, which can be mounted in a PCB cutout. It is noted that the SIM3050 accepts a mini SIM™ rather than a micro SIM™ or nano SIM™. Although this connector provides for a low-profile mounting point for a SIM™, it has several features which make it potentially problematic for a given application. In particular, a top face 100 of the SIM3050 includes connectors 110 for mounting to a component side of a PCB, and the SIM™ is also inserted into the SIM3050 through a port 120 in the top face 100. Thus, access to an at least partially populated side of the PCB is required in order to insert the SIM™ into the SIM3050.
Therefore there is a need for a low-profile module connector.
This background information is provided for the purpose of making known information believed by the applicant to be of possible relevance to the present technology. No admission is necessarily intended, nor should be construed, that any of the preceding information constitutes prior art against the present technology.